Winter Melancholy
by Yami Alchemist
Summary: It's been a year since Harry killed Voldemort. He is alone and depressed. He's not the only one. What will it take for them to achieve happiness? LMxHP. Slash!
1. Chapter 1

So a couple of things.

First: sorry it's taking me so long to update and all. Between school, work and everything that's going on around here, it just has been way to crazy.

Second: My cat died this morning. I am terribly sad and this story helped write some of it out.

Third: I listened to the song Sad Romance, violin version, while writing this. It helped imagine parts of the story.

And finally: I do NOT own Harry Potter. It belongs to J.K. Rowling. If I did, then it would have more yaoi/slash in it instead of GinnyxHarry. This is slash, if you hadn't guessed.

Enjoy!

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Winter Melancholy

The icy breeze carried small bunches of snow across the path. It had stopped snowing a while ago, but the wind made it appear to be snowing. It was cold. So cold that it hurt when you breathed in. It was the kind of weather where people would stay inside; huddling by the fire to keep warm, hot chocolate in their hands with blankets wrapped tightly around them. Tree branches snapped and fell to the earth from the cold. The snow sparkled in the falling winter sunlight. The sun shone brightly, but its warmth failed to reach any daring person that traveled outside. A young man paused as he stopped to catch his breath. In the background a giant white mansion was just visible through the trees. It seemed almost as if it were a castle made out of ice. It seemed to blend in quite well with the surrounding snow. A few moments later, and he continued up the path.

His jet black hair curled delicately around his shoulders and swayed lightly in the breeze. His eyes were beautiful malachite green that sparkled when he was happy. Right now, they were filled with sadness and guilt. He had long ago rid himself of the glasses he wore when he was in school. He reached up with a hand that was as pale as fine porcelain and pulled the opening of the cloak together to keep out the cold. He wore plain black slacks and a grey sweater. His cloak was made of the heaviest velvet and was a deep forest green that brought out his eyes. A silver pin in the shape of a very intricate Eye of Horus held the cloak together at his throat. It was a Christmas gift from his best friend's brother that worked in Egypt. The cloak was trimmed in gold thread. The hood lay across his shoulders. Despite the frigid temperatures, he decided against putting it up. The wind that ghosted over his face made him feel alive. The man's name was Harry Potter. He was one of the wizarding world's most famous people. He was famous for the small lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. When he just barely over one year old, a dark wizard, Voldemort, had killed his parents and tried to kill him too. The curse rebounded and destroyed all but Dark Lord's soul. Seventeen years later, after the Dark Lord had regained a body; he killed Voldemort and freed the entire wizarding world. That had been a little over a year ago.

The snow crunched under his black boots as he walked slowly up the winding path. As he turned the corner, a giant black iron gate loomed ahead of him. There were giant metal spikes at the top that were no doubt laced with magic. In the middle was a giant M that was surrounded by falling oak leaves. Harry frowned when he noticed that the lock on the gate was missing. He passed it off as the caretaker and approached the gate without a sound. This was the first time he had ever been here, and he was a little nervous. He wasn't even sure if he could get past the wards. The only living member was in Azkaban the last he knew. He stopped wondering, seeing as it would get him nowhere and it _was_ getting colder out.

He stepped up to the gate and gently placed his hand on it. Seeing as nothing happened, he pulled it open enough so he could get past. He hesitated and reached out with his left hand. It met with a slight force, almost as if one was pressing against water. These were the wards. He pushed a little more and the entire area flashed blue before the force on his hand disappeared. He didn't hold back the surprise that went through him. This meant that he would be able to cross through them and enter the manor. It didn't make sense for them to let him through, considering he needed expressed permission from one of the occupants of the manor. And since the current and last owner of the manor was occupying a cell far away, and most likely wouldn't give him permission even if he asked politely, Harry was shocked. He frowned and walked forward, closing the gate behind him.

The entire manor lay quiet like a sleeping giant. Snow covered every inch of the yard and front steps. The manor was four stories high and had three wings. The main wing, which held several parlors, a ballroom, and a huge kitchen as well as the entrance to the conservatory. The east wing, which held mostly guest rooms. And the west wing, which was where the family all had rooms. There was a stable out back that housed some of the most exotic and rare horses ever seen. The front porch ran the entire length of the main wing. In the middle were two heavy oak doors. Harry silently walked up the stone steps and approached the doors. He waved his hand and whispered, "_Alohomora._" He smiled as he heard the locks inside open. After he defeated Voldemort, he found he didn't have to use a wand to do spells. He had done that once without thinking in front of a group of people. Several of which were Weasley's and the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt. That didn't go over well. Several people started to whisper about how he might become the next Dark Lord. So he used his wand when he was around others, and it made them feel better. The only ones that didn't seem to mind were most of the Weasley's and Hermione. The only one that seemed to have a problem with it was Ginny. She refused to talk to him after he had done some wandless magic in front of her. Now she looked at him as if he were from another planet.

Harry shook himself from his thoughts and opened the doors. He walked inside and into the main hall. The doors shut noiselessly behind him as he stood there and gazed up at the grand staircase and glass chandelier. The staircase led up to the second floor and was covered in a thick red carpet. The chandelier sparkled in the sunlight that filtered in through the windows. It was made out of pure glass and held over 50 candles. Little pieces of glass hung down shaped like tiny raindrops. On both sides of the foyer were rooms, parlors for greeting guests. To the right was a hallway that led to the kitchen and beyond that the conservatory. Harry was almost certain that the kitchen had never been seen by human eyes since the time it was built so many centuries ago. He turned away from the hallway and slowly walked down the left hand corridor. If anyone had told Harry a year ago that he would willingly walk through the halls of Malfoy Manor, he would have told them they were crazy and then hexed them. But here he was. Walking through the hallways getting stared at by the portraits that hung on the walls. Well, more like getting glared at by the men and curiously stared at by the women. He ignored them and kept walking.

At the end of the hall lay the most elegant ballroom outside of Hogwarts. It could hold well over a hundred people all at once. There were more chandeliers like the one in the foyer hanging from the high ceiling as well as several candelabras circling the room. Alongside one of the walls were floor to ceiling windows. Harry looked closer and noticed that there were three sets of sliding glass doors that led out to what appeared to be a rose garden. On the other wall was a grand piano. It was pure black and stood out greatly from the whiteness of the walls. Harry walked over to it and ran a finger lightly across the keys. He noticed a small table out of the corner of his eye. He turned to it and studied the violin case that rested there. He slowly walked over to it and opened it to reveal a beautifully crafted violin. He gently lifted it and the bow out. No harm could come from playing just one song, could it? Shortly after he killed Voldemort, he had learned how to play. When he played the violin it soothed his mind and allowed him to stop caring for a short while. All the nightmares, all the deaths flashing before his eyes every night when he went to sleep just melted away. He forgot everything. He forgot everything that happened, himself, where he was, and even who he was with at times. It all disappeared and for a small while he stopped being Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. He was himself. He was just Harry.

He cradled the violin between his neck and shoulder and ran the bow across the strings. It made a horrid screeching noise from not being used in so long. He set the bow down and tightened some of the strings. He picked up the bow again and ran it along the strings once more. This time a beautiful sound echoed in the ballroom.

"This is for you, Draco," he whispered as he closed his eyes and began to play.

He played a sad song that was filled with pain, but hauntingly beautiful at the same time. Had there been anyone there, it would have forced them to start crying from the sheer sadness of it. His fingers ghosted over the strings as he lost himself in the sound. The sound traveled through the ballroom and out the door. It filled every corridor of the empty manor. Some of the portraits openly wept at the sound while the stronger ones moved into their portraits to console them. Despite being Malfoy Manor, there were quite a few sentimental portraits.

The bow slid back and forth across the strings as he played. A single tear went unnoticed by him down his cheek. His expression turned into a frown as his emotions threatened to spill. There were so many things he had done that could have been changed. So many things he could have done differently and then maybe everyone would still be alive. Sirius, Fred, Tonks, Neville, Snape, Dumbledore, and even Draco. They would all still be alive and living the lives that they deserved to live. If only he knew then what he knew now, then things might have been different. He kept playing until he became numb to his emotions. Even then, he continued to play. He played until he couldn't play anymore. By then, the sun was beginning to set and cast long shadows throughout the ballroom. Another tear slipped down his cheek as he lowered the violin. He sighed and opened his eyes.

"And just what do you think you're doing in here?"

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Let me know what you think!

Jaa!


	2. Chapter 2

So here's the second chapter to Winter Melancholy.

It's a little short, but bear with me. I'm having a small case of writers block. I'm trying to get over it.

Enjoy!

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Winter Melancholy

Harry whirled around at the sound of the voice. In the doorway stood a tired, but angry Lucius Malfoy. The elder wizard had on comfortable black slacks and a turtle neck sweater that was the color of fine wine. He didn't wear any shoes; instead he had on black wool socks. A silk ribbon the color of honey kept his luscious wheat colored hair tied back. As Harry took this all in, he couldn't help but notice that the outfit brought out the slivery grey of the older man's eyes. Lucius was strangely quiet as Harry took in his appearance. The only thing he did was cross his arms and lean against the doorway, his eyebrow raised in a silent question. It seemed to Harry that Lucius was very much like the prince in the stories his Aunt used to read to Dudley when he was a kid. Even in casual stance, Lucius held himself regally. Everything about the blonde screamed respect and power. Harry's eyes met the other's and that's where the princely similarities ended.

Lucius' eyes were hard and cold. The look of a man who had seen many horrid things in his life. They had a detached haunted look. No doubt from the days he spent in Azkaban. Harry knew that was the result of the Dementors. There was also a slightly crazed look in the elder Malfoy's eyes as they traveled down Harry's form. It was subtle. Almost invisible if you didn't know how to look for it. But Harry did know. He knew how to find that look in the other's eyes because it was the same look that was in his. The war often did that to people. While several had died, even more had gone insane. Crazy from the pain and agony of it all. Among those were Luna, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and George. Luna had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse by Bellatrix until she too went insane. Mrs. Weasley went insane after she lost Fred, Ron and Charlie. Bill and Mr. Weasley were the only two left who had not died or gone insane. Not that they went unscathed either. Bill had been bitten by Greyback and Mr. Weasley lost the use of both of his legs. Hermione had been raped and tortured by several of the lower Death Eaters. They had all died. Harry had made sure of that. She was even worse than the Longbottoms. All she did was sit and stare. Occasionally she would mumble something, but for the most part, she just stared. George had gone insane from the loss of his twin. When Fred had died, George held his body, rocking it back and forth as silent tears made their way down his face. He still rocked back and forth, but this time he held a magical photo of Fred. He would scream and thrash around if anyone tried to take it away from him. The war had taken a toll on everybody and Harry wondered from time to time if he wasn't insane as well.

He would wander from place to place, never really staying in one spot. Without his friends or Ginny, he had nothing left. In fact, he had been considering suicide on his way to Malfoy Manor. He really had nothing left and he had no idea what to do anymore. He turned away from Lucius without answering. He gently laid the bow and violin back into the case before shutting it and snapping the locks closed. He took a breath and stared out into the falling sun. He felt rather than heard when Lucius approached the piano.

"I don't know," he whispered quietly.

Lucius frowned and stared at Harry's back, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize to Draco," Harry said.

Lucius' eyes widened and he stared at the younger wizard. _What did Harry Potter have to apologize to Draco for?_

"How long were you standing there for?" Harry questioned, jerking Lucius out of his thoughts.

"Since you started to play," Lucius replied, "I followed you in here. Why did you want to apologize to Draco?"

Harry sighed and gripped the violin case tightly, "I wanted to apologize for not stopping it sooner. He'd still be alive if I had killed Tom sooner. Everyone would be happy if only I had been quicker. They'd all still be alive. It's all my fault…"

Lucius stared at the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Defeat-Voldemort in shock. _How could he even think…?_ His eyes narrowed and he moved around the piano with the grace of a tiger. He grabbed Harry by the arms and twisted him around. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the tears in Harry's eyes. He pushed the feelings away and said, "Don't you even think that! It's not your fault! There's nothing you could have done. You couldn't control what Voldemort did. He was a cruel and heartless bastard who enjoyed torturing people. If you start to think it's your fault then Draco's death will have been for nothing."

Lucius frowned as watery emerald stared up into angry silver. Harry took a deep shuddering breath before his emotions got the better of him and he began to sob. Lucius was startled for a moment when Harry buried his face in his hands. He got over it quickly and drew the smaller wizard into his arms. Harry clutched at the other's sweater as he continued to cry. Lucius wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and the other stroked his silky black hair. He held the other tighter to him as he whispered in his ear," Shh… it's alright now. It's okay to cry, Harry. It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. Come on."

He managed to get it so that they would be able to leave the music room without breaking too much contact. He lead Harry out of the room and down the hall to the dining room. They were in for a a long talk.

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Don't forget to review!

Jaa!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry that it took so long to get a new chapter out. I lost the urge to write this story until now. I'm going to try and get it finished. As of right now, I can't say how many chapters it'll be. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

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Winter Melancholy

Lucius led them through the enormous mansion towards the dining room. The portraits watched them without saying so much as a word. The ones that did make some sort of disapproving noise were quickly shut up with a well aimed glare from the older wizard. One portrait, a picture of an old woman who still looked as beautiful as she did when she was twenty, took a single glance at the two and hurried away to one of her blank portraits hanging around the mansion. A portrait of Lucius' father sneered disgusted down at the two. He opened his mouth to condemn the blonde haired wizard and the filthy half blood (because in his mind anyone who wasn't pureblood was dirty blood) when Lucius beat him to it. The elder wizard pulled out his wand and cast a wordless _silencio_ at the portrait.

His father looked positively livid and proceeded to scream noiselessly at them. Lucius just smirked and continued to lead Harry down the hallway. The man-who-lived, because he most definitely was no longer a boy, had stopped sobbing along the way and tears coursed silently down his face as he stared unseeing in front of him. He couldn't stop thinking of how it was his fault. How if he had just been quicker, so many people would be alive. He let Lucius lead him down the many corridors of the mansion to the dining room. He was so caught up in his guilt that it didn't even occur to him that Lucius was suppose to be in a cell thousands of miles away, not leading him gently by the shoulders to the mansion's dining room. The mere fact that a Malfoy was being nice to him should have shocked him beyond belief, but he knew that it could surprise you what would happen when life changed you. Perhaps Lucius had finally realized that life wouldn't always let you have what you wanted. Merlin knew it never let Harry have what he wanted. Hell, it never let anyone have what they wanted. The Weasley's, Hermione, Snape, Draco, none of them.

Draco…

All he had wanted was to make his father proud. The very same man that now had his arms around Harry's shoulders. If he had only tried to listen and understand Draco… even before then. If someone had tried to listen to Tom, actually sit and listen to him when he was still in school, then maybe none of this would have happened. Who knows? Tom could have gone on to become the Minister of Magic and changed things legally. He certainly had the charisma for the job. Draco and Harry could have actually been friends instead of enemies and people could still be alive. But the time for what if's were long gone and all they had left was to make do with what they were given.

Lucius gently pushed Harry down into one of the dining room chairs before snapping his fingers. A tiny house elf appeared with a loud crack, surprisingly not startling the raven haired man as he stared at the table. Lucius quietly spoke to the elf before pulling up a chair next to Harry, "Please bring us some tea, Tibby."

"Yes, Master," Tibby said as she bowed low and disappeared with another loud crack.

Lucius turned back to Harry and noticed that the man had stopped crying, but was still shaking rather hard. The tea he had requested appeared on the table and Lucius quietly made a cup, not knowing what to say to break the silence. He set the cup in front of Harry before proceeding to make his own. Harry stared at the cup for a moment before shakily reaching out and grasping the handle. If it weren't for him shaking, his actions would have almost seemed robotic in nature. He simply held the cup close to his face, not taking a sip of the tea just yet as he started to whisper, "I wanted to save them. I wanted to be the hero they wanted me to be. No… needed me to be. But I failed them and now they're gone and there's no getting them back. It's all my fault. I failed them."

"It's not your fault, Harry," Lucius spoke quietly, almost afraid that if he spoke louder it would frighten or break the man in front of him. He took a sip of the tea in order to collect his thoughts before continuing, "They knew the risk going into the war. They accepted it and you did the best you could."

"No, my best would have been saving everyone," Harry said angrily. He gripped his cup as he stared into the black liquid, "If I had been sooner… everyone would be alive and happy. My family would be alive and happy, not dead or in St. Mungo's due to insanity. Many of my friends would still be alive. Your wife and son would still be here…"

He trailed off as he fought against the tears again. The sorrow filled ever fiber of his being and he didn't know how to get rid of it. He was just so lost and tired.

Lucius set his cup down and gently wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. He wasn't sure what he should do because he had never been in a situation like this before. How was he supposed to comfort someone when he barely knew how to express sympathy to begin with? Sighing inaudibly, he murmured as gently as he could, "I won't say that it's going to be okay, because we both know that it won't be. But I know that they wouldn't want you to be wallowing in guilt all the time. Draco… Draco certainly wouldn't want you to."

Harry looked up into silvery grey eyes and knew what Lucius was saying was the truth. He knew it, but he was too stubborn to believe it. The despair was just too much for him to overcome right now. He forced his emotions back into the box they had sprung free from as he asked quietly, "Who are you and what have you done to Lucius Malfoy?"

A sigh escaped Lucius' lips before he could stop himself. If the situation had been any different, he might have found the question to be amusing, but it wasn't. Not when the answer to the seemingly innocent question wasn't funny at all. Pulling his arm from around Harry, he grabbed his cup and took another sip, "The death of my family has… put things into perspective."

"I'm sorry, Lucius," Harry murmured quietly, risking saying the blonde's first name.

Lucius shook his head slightly as he refilled the cup with tea. He bit back the remark that was immediately on his tongue and instead replied, "Don't be. It was my own actions that caused it. Now I must suffer the consequences."

Harry took a small sip of his almost cool tea and was surprised to find that it was exactly how he liked it. Not too bitter, but not too sweet either. He absently wondered how Lucius knew how he liked his tea when he thought of something. He turned and faced the older wizard as he asked, "What are you doing out of Azkaban?"

"Apparently," Lucius said as a confused frown crossed his face, "I've been good enough to warrant house arrest. I'm not allowed to step off the property."

"Oh…" Harry said as he took another sip of his tea. He wondered about that because he knew that the Ministry didn't just let any one out of Azkaban. Not without a good reason to do so. Especially a person like Lucius. They must want him to do something or give them information. Those were the only possible reasons why the Ministry would let Lucius return home. He tentively asked another question that was getting the better of him, "How do you have a wand if they broke yours?"

Lucius turned and looked at him as he raised a delicate eyebrow.

Harry tilted his head and looked at the older male for a moment before realizing what it was that Lucius wasn't saying. He slapped a hand against his forehead as he spoke, "Right. It's a secondary wand. Forgot you were a Malfoy and would have something like that hidden in this place just in case."

Lucius made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat as he snapped his fingers once again. Tibby appeared once again with a loud pop and bowed low, "How may Tibby help Master?"

"Please prepare something light for dinner and set an extra setting for Mr. Potter," Lucius instructed. Tibby bowed once more before disappearing.

"I really should be going," Harry said quickly as he set his cup down and made to stand up.

Lucius' hand darted out and grabbed Harry's forearm. He kept his face as neutral as possible, but his eyes begged Harry, "Please, stay. I… It's been so long since someone willingly talked to me…"

Harry slowly sat down and nodded. He knew, from his time spent with the Dursley's, what it was like to not have anyone willingly talk to you. When it came to him, the Dursley's wouldn't do anything willingly. He went to pick up his cup again when he realized it was empty. He was surprised when Lucius reached for the cup and proceeded to pour him more tea. He watched as delicate hands poured the tea into the cup as he asked, "How do you know how I like my tea?"

"Lucky guess," Lucius replied as he handed the cup back to him. Harry took a sip and hummed in satisfaction. His mind wandered to his companion and he wondered about the Ministry's motives for letting the ex-death eater go. Well, it wasn't exactly like he was free, but being in his own home was a lot freer than being in Azkaban. Especially since Lucius had a new wand. He frowned as he thought about it more. He knew, from his short time being an Auror, that Lucius, being who he is, should have several guards around and a device attached to his ankle that prevented him from doing magic at all. He already knew that Lucius could do magic, since he had used it to silence the painting earlier, and he didn't see any guards. In fact, if it wasn't for Lucius touching him, he would have thought he was imagining the man sitting next to him. The mansion seemed deserted and bare. Tilting his head, he asked tentively, "Why aren't you being guarded?"

"I am," he replied as he motioned to the outside of the manor, "I sent them on a wild goose chase into the woods a while ago. I wanted some alone time and I almost wonder if they didn't get lost…"

Harry couldn't help the little half smile that graced his lips at that. Leave it to Lucius to send his guards away just to get them lost. He knew he was asking a lot of questions, but he wondered greatly about Lucius' release. He decided to ask one last question, since he didn't want to get on his host's nerves, "Why haven't you left? You could easily leave and the Ministry wouldn't know otherwise."

"And go where? Almost every ministry around the world has my picture and knows who I am. Where could I possibly go without being caught and brought back here? Besides… there's not really any other place I can go to anymore. No one wants to associate with an ex-death eater," Lucius murmured as the tea set disappeared and two bowls of chicken soup appeared in front of them. Harry raised an eyebrow, surprised that Lucius would eat such a plebian dish. Said person caught the look out of the corner of his eye and responded, "After the food I ate at Azkaban, this is like a meal fit for a king."

Harry nodded thoughtfully and reached for his spoon. He had nothing against eating the soup, he was just surprised that Lucius didn't demand something more extravagant and expensive to eat. The two ate in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, which surprised Harry once more. He expected to feel uncomfortable around the older Malfoy, but realized that the feeling wasn't there. He actually felt content and safe. Something he didn't think possible, since the man had tried to kill him more than once. A thought occurred to him and he paused as he said quietly, "The Ministry wants something from you."

It wasn't a question, since he already knew the answer. Lucius gave a tiny nod as he said, "Undoubtedly. They wouldn't have let me go so easily if they didn't. I have no idea what, though."

Harry nodded thoughtfully as they fell back into a comfortable silence. He tried to think about just what the Ministry's motives were, but his mind was drawing a blank. He put it at the back of his mind and decided he would think about it later. He knew he had overstayed his welcome, but, even as he decided to leave, he had no idea where he would go. He had no home left to go to. Still… he couldn't stay here. He sighed and reluctantly said, "I really should get going. I've already intruded long enough."

Lucius fought back the urge to beg him to stay and merely nodded. The two stood up and made their way to the front hallway. As they reached the front door, Harry found himself pausing. He didn't exactly want to leave, but he didn't know how Lucius felt about it. Sure, he had asked him to stay earlier, but would he really be willing to let him stay? Biting his bottom lip, Harry turned and asked, "Is it… Would it be… I, um…"

Amusement flickered through Lucius' eyes briefly as he crossed his arms. A small smirk played on his lips as he asked, "Would you like to stay?"

"Erm… if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" Harry replied, "I don't have anywhere to return to and well, I kind of don't want to stay at a hotel right now. Knowing my luck, I'll be hounded by fans and the papers."

"You're more than welcome to stay," Lucius said, relief and a sliver of happiness flowing through him. The two emotions confused him, so he shoved them away as far as he could. He turned back around and started walking away, "I'll show you to your room."

Harry followed obediently and expected Lucius to lead him to the east wing, where the guest rooms were located. His eyes widened in surprise as Lucius headed toward the west wing. Lucius stopped in front of one of the doors and pushed it open. The bedroom was done in shades of green and black. Harry walked in and looked around as Lucius spoke, "There's an adjacent bathroom for your personal use. My room is 3 doors down the hall, to the left. I usually spend most of my time in the study downstairs. I'll leave you to get settled in. If you need me for anything, I'll be downstairs."

Harry nodded and tossed his coat onto the bed. He was about to go into the bathroom when Lucius' voice sounded quietly from behind him, "Thank you, Harry."

He turned back around and looked at Lucius puzzled, but when Lucius gave no explanation, he nodded slightly, "You're welcome."

Lucius left the room and Harry sank down onto the bed with a tired sigh. He had no idea what he was getting himself into. The older Malfoy had surprised him so many times today that he had no idea what to think. The entire situation confused him even more and he didn't really want to think about it anymore. Blowing some of his hair out of his face, he got up and headed into the bathroom. Who knew what tomorrow had in store and he really just wanted to sleep.

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I really am not a fan of this ending.

Wynter: It is rather sucky.

Oh, gee, thanks. You're nice.

Wynter: You said you didn't like it.

I know, but I wanted to end it there, save some things for the next chapter.

Wynter: Guess we're stuck with it then. Don't forget to review if you liked it!

Jaa!


	4. Chapter 4

Here's the fourth chapter. I don't really have anything planned for this story, and am really just going with the flow. Which could be a bad thing, because I have a tendency to not write ideas down when they hit me, and then later when I go back to continue writing something, I've forgotten what I was going to say. Anyways, this chapter is a good example of me going with the flow.

Just to restate, I do NOT own Harry Potter. Wish I did.

As is obvious, this is not in canon with the stories. There might be some little coincidences that are the same in the actual Harry Potter books, but for the most part, it's an AU.

Enjoy!

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Winter Melancholy

_Harry walked slowly down the darkened corridor. Only the barest of light came from the few torches hanging on the walls as he passed countless doors. With each step, there appeared to be even more and more of them. He stopped in front of a red door that had no marking on it. Reaching out cautiously, he grabbed the handle and tried to turn it. Anger flooded his senses as he ripped his hand way from the door. He panted harshly at the sudden barrage of emotion. Whatever was behind that door, he didn't want to know. It made him feel upset and angry. Pushing the emotions aside, he continued to walk down the corridor a little more cautiously. He had no idea if every door was going to be like that one, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. A noise in front of him caught his attention and he proceeded towards it warily. A part of his mind registered that he didn't have his wand, which was an unusual thing, since he always had it on him. He ignored the little voice in his head that told him to not go near the noise, his Gryffindor curiosity getting the better of him. The noise seemed to originate from a dark black door just up to his left. He could just barely make out voices. Stepping closer to the door, he slowly reached out for the handle when the door flew open on its own. Harry was assaulted by the voices and faces of his friends, both dead and insane. _

"_This is all your fault!" Mrs. Weasley screamed at him, her eyes wide and insane. _

"_Why, Harry, why?" Fred moaned as his image flew towards Harry, "Why did you take George away?"_

"_You should have tried harder, Harry!" Ron exclaimed as he reached out towards Harry, his fingers mere bones, "If you had tried harder, we would still be alive!"_

_Harry's heart churned in his chest as he started to back away. His hands instinctively came up to cover his face as he shook his head. It wasn't real. They couldn't be real. It wasn't his fault! _

"_Yes, it is, Potter," a voice to his left murmured quietly. Harry looked over and into the angered grey eyes of Draco as he continued, "You did this to us. You've got no one to blame but yourself!"_

"_No!" Harry said frantically as he turned and started to run down the corridor, "It's not my fault! It's not my fault! No!"_

"No!" Harry screamed out as he bolted upright and looked around frantically. The room was completely dark, the tendrils of his nightmare fading back into the dream world. The grandfather clock down in the foyer started to chime midnight as Harry tossed the covers off of his body and sat on the edge of the bed. The dream had seemed so real…

He shakily stood up and headed towards the bathroom. Their faces and words burning into his mind as he splashed water onto his face. The cold water woke up him up a little and he reached for a towel. He wiped his face as he looked into the mirror and grimaced. Empty emerald eyes sunk into his face gazed back at him sorrowfully. His skin was pale and his hair unkempt. He looked like shit, despite the fact that he had taken a shower the night before.

A scream tore through the manor and Harry took off running, tossing the towel aside as he did. He yanked the door open as another scream echoed through the air. It only took Harry a few seconds to realize that it was Lucius who was screaming. He ran towards Lucius' bedroom, pulling out his wand as he approached the door. Bursting through the door, he looked around quickly, his wand ready. Lucius was on the bed, tossing and turning as the nightmare gripped his mind. His arms came up in front of his face, much like Harry had done in his dream, as he yelled out pitifully, "No! Please, get them away! I'll do anything, please! It hurts…"

Harry pocketed his wand as he approached the bed and gently grabbed the blonde's shoulders and said, "Lucius! Wake up, Lucius! It's just a nightmare!"

"No! Don't touch me! Go away!" Lucius screamed before bolting upright, his eyes wide with fear. He scooted up to the top of his bed and searched the room fearfully until his eyes landed on Harry. His breath came in shallow pants as he murmured fearfully, "Harry…?"

Harry tentively reached a hand out, not quiet touching Lucius as he replied as gently as he could, "It's okay. You were just having a nightmare."

"A nightmare…?" Lucius asked softly as his hands gripped the blanket. The remains of the dream were slowly starting to fade away, but fear still gripped him. What if this was the real dream? What if Harry really wasn't sitting there? He had dreamt like this before, when he was still in Azkaban. What's to say that this wasn't a dream? His hand trembled as he let go of the blanket and shakily reached out for Harry, whom seemed to understand what Lucius wanted as he pressed his palm against Lucius'.

"I'm really here, Lucius," he said quietly as he threaded his fingers through the older wizard's, "I'm real. It was just a nightmare."

Lucius let out a shaky breath and squeezed Harry's hand, almost as if to make sure. Relief coursed through him, pushing the fear away as he ran a hand over his face. He fought the tears that threatened to fill his eyes as he whispered, "It was so real… I dreamed I was back in Azkaban and they, the ministry were trying to get information out of me. They had brought along a Dementor. It was so cold and they said that if I didn't tell them what they wanted to know, they were going to let it kiss me. I didn't know what they wanted. They wouldn't tell me what information they were looking for. I was so scared…"

Harry gently brushed his thumb across the back of Lucius' hand as he murmured, "It was just a dream. You're home, at your manor. There are no Dementors here. You're fine."

A sigh escaped Lucius' mouth as he visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes and let Harry's voice float over him, pushing away the remnants of the nightmare. He yawned unexpectedly and glared half heartedly at Harry, which only served to make the younger wizard chuckle even more.

"I'll let you get back to sleep," Harry said as he made to stand up, "Will you be alright now?"

Lucius nodded as he replied, "I think so. Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," he whispered as he gave Harry's hand one last squeeze before releasing it.

Harry merely nodded and headed back to his own room. He climbed into the bed and folded his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. It seemed he wasn't the only one with demons of his own.

The bright sunlight poured through the open curtains and Harry blinked his eyes as he tried to wake his mind up. After he had returned to his room, he fell asleep with thoughts of the elder Malfoy swirling around in his mind. Things were complicated and he had a feeling things would only get more complicated as time went by. With a heavy sigh, he tossed the blankets off of his body and stood up to stretch. Reaching for his coat, he dug around in the pockets before pulling out a very tiny trunk. A flick of his wrist, and the trunk re-grew to its original size. He bent down and rummaged around for a pair of clean clothes to wear. He felt a little self conscious being in Malfoy Manor and pulled out some black slacks and a forest green turtle neck sweater. Silently slipping them on, he debated on charming his hair into some sort of order, but decided against it. He wasn't here to impress anyone, as it was, he let being in the Manor affect his clothing. Still, he wasn't going to just leave his hair the way it was. He summoned a brush and brushed the unruly mop of hair into a less unruly state. Slipping his shoes on, he opened the door and padded down the hallway. He chuckled at the pissed off look on Abraxas Malfoy's face, giving the painting a jaunty wave as he passed by. The portrait started silently screaming at him and it made Harry laugh even more. He'd have to thank Lucius for that. It amused him to no end.

Skipping the last stair on the stair case, he calmed his nerves as he headed towards the dining room. It still was a little unnerving to be around the elder Malfoy. A part of him hoped that Lucius was in said room, while another part hoped he wasn't. He approached the door and knocked lightly before sticking his head inside. More than just a little disappointment went through him when he saw that it was empty. Opening the door fully, he walked inside and looked around, wondering where the older man was. A folded piece of paper on the table caught his eye and he walked over to pick it up. His name was written in elegant cursive on the outside and he opened it up.

Harry,

I apologize for not joining you for breakfast. If there is anything you need, just call for Tibby. She will be happy to assist you. When you are finished, you are more than welcome to join me out in the courtyard.

Lucius

Harry couldn't help but give a small little half smile. Short and to the point. Pulling the chair out, he sat down and pondered what to have for breakfast. A few moments later, he called out for Tibby. The tiny house elf popped into the room and looked up curiously at him, "Yes, Master Harry?"

Harry blinked in surprise at the small elf, not expecting to be called master considering he was just a guest. He frowned as he said, "Errr… just Harry, please. And can I have a bagel with cream cheese and cinnamon sprinkled on top?"

"Sorry, Master Harry," the little elf said as she bobbed her head, her large ears flapping gently, "You are Master's friend, so Tibby will call you Master Harry. Is there anything else Tibby can help you with?"

"Erm… a half a grapefruit with sugar, I guess…" Harry said as he trailed off.

Tibby nodded and disappeared with a loud elf, leaving behind a very perplexed Harry to wait for his food. He didn't understand house elves sometimes. He was just grateful she didn't act like Dobby had. His food appeared in front of him and stared out the window thoughtfully as he ate, "Friends?"

* * *

Harry clasped the thick cloak around his neck tightly as he stepped out onto the manor grounds. A brisk air flowed through him and he shivered, drawing the cloak tighter around him as he set off to look for Lucius. The man hadn't been in the courtyard when he had gone to find him, and Tibby suggested that he look around the grounds, as Lucius liked to go for walks along the edge of the forest a lot. He paused at the outer edge of the manor and looked across the grounds. There was a light snow falling, and it only made everything seem all the more majestic. A movement to his right caught his attention and he glanced that way. A pure white stallion trotted over the fresh snow towards him. It's mane shimmering in the winter sunlight. It stopped in front of him and neighed softly, the horses grey eyes bright with amusement. Harry hesitantly reached out and started stroking the stallion's nose with a soft smile as he said, "Hello to you too, Lucius. Sorry I didn't wake up in time to have breakfast with you."

The stallion gave a soft snort and shook its head slightly, but not enough to dislodge Harry's hand. Harry scratched right between Lucius' eyes as he gave the stallion an amused look and continued, "You weren't in the courtyard when I finished, so I asked Tibby where you might possibly be. She told me that you might be walking along the forest's edge. She failed to mention what form you'd be in, though…"

He felt, rather than saw, Lucius shrug and laughed quietly. He never imagined talking to Lucius Malfoy, let alone almost joking with him in his animagus form. His hand wandered over Lucius' head and into his mane, stroking softly and just enjoying the moment. It seemed surreal to him that he'd be here, like this with a Malfoy, but he realized that times had changed. He was just about to remove his hand from the stallion when he felt Lucius tense shortly before a voice called out, "Hey, you! You shouldn't be near that horse! It's dangerous!"

Harry fought not to laugh at that and didn't bother turning around. He merely kept stroking Lucius' mane as he listened to the man approach. He couldn't hold back the laughter that bubbled up inside him at the intense glare that Lucius' was shooting over his shoulder at the man.

"Didn't you hear me? I said you shouldn't be near that horse."

"Yes, Auror, I heard you," Harry replied as he reluctantly turned around to face the man, "And I don't see this horse hurting me anytime soon."

"M-M-Mr. Potter…" the Auror stammered, "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you from behind."

"Mmm," Harry murmured quietly as he slipped his hand from Lucius' mane, "It's Lord Potter to you."

"Y-Yes, Lord Potter. You really shouldn't be near that horse, sir," he said as he rubbed his right hand and glared at the horse, who glared back at him, "Flea bitten mongrel already bit me three times."

The stallion neighed angrily and attempted to take a step towards the man. Harry reacted quickly and conjured up a sugar cube and shoved it under Lucius' nose. He paused and gazed the sugar cube for a moment before scooping it out of Harry's hand and chewing on it, his glare transferred from the Auror to Harry. Harry merely grinned at him before turning back to the Auror and replying, "I don't think this horse is going to be a problem any longer. Besides, shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Lord Malfoy?"

"The man's on house arrest," the Auror replied with a wave of his hand, "It's not like he can leave the manor."

Harry glanced at Lucius before chuckling softly, "If you say so."

"What are you doing here, Lord Potter?" the Auror asked, "The Minister won't be very happy that you're here, especially since he didn't give you permission."

"I wasn't aware that the Minister owned Malfoy Manor," Harry stated calmly.

"H-He doesn't, but…" the Auror began to say.

"Then I do not need anyone but Lord Malfoy's permission to be here," Harry replied, his voice cold. He shouldn't need anyone but Lucius' permission to be there. It's not like the Minister owned the place, "And until he says so, I will not be leaving either."

"B-But sir!"

"If the Minister wishes for me to leave Malfoy Manor, he will have to come here and remove me himself, Auror Mathews," Harry said as he turned and walked away. Lucius followed after him after giving one last glare at the Auror. He made his way back into the manor and into Lucius' study.

A few moments later, Lucius joined him, shaking the snow from his robes as he did, "I don't know whether to laugh or hex you for the sugar cube."

"Oh, come now, you can't tell me that you didn't enjoy it," Harry said with a grin as he unfastened his cloak and draped it over one of the chairs.

"Perhaps I should hex you," Lucius said in annoyance.

"You won't hex me," he replied as he flopped down into the chair.

"Why not?" Lucius asked as he gracefully sat down into the chair opposite of Harry.

"Because if you were truly angry at me about that, you would have done something by now," Harry replied as he leaned his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes, "No, who you're really mad at is that Auror and the Minister."

"Know me so well already, Harry?" Lucius asked as he relaxed with a small smile.

"No," he replied with a shake of his head, "Just a lucky guess."

"That pathetic, stupid mudblood of an Auror…" Lucius hissed as he gripped the edges of the chair.

Harry coughed quietly as he opened his eyes and looked at the elder wizard pointedly. Lucius merely ignored him and continued, "Called me a flea bitten mongrel! I do not have fleas!"

"Of course you don't," Harry replied with a wave of his hand, "You wouldn't let yourself get fleas."

"And the Minister!" Lucius continued, once again ignoring Harry, "Just who does he think he is to say who can and cannot visit me?"

"Mmm, yes, that has me annoyed as well," Harry replied as he sat up with a frown, "Tibby!"

"Yes, Master Harry?" Tibby asked as she popped into the room.

"Please bring us some tea," he said.

Tibby bowed low, her ears touching the floor before disappearing with a loud crack. Seconds later, a tray of tea appeared on the small table between Harry and Lucius. Harry fixed himself a cup and sat back, "It's not like he owns you or your manor."

"No, he doesn't," Lucius agreed as he took a sip of his own tea, "I may be on house arrest, but I still own this manor and still have the final say on who can come here and who can't."

"Speaking of such things…" Harry started to say when he was interrupted by a loud crack.

"Master, the Minister is at the door requesting to speak to you and Master Harry," Tibby said, annoyance coloring her voice.

"Show him to the parlor," Lucius replied with a sigh as he set his tea cup down, "We'll be there in a few moments."

"Yes, Master," she said as she bowed again and popped away.

Harry set his cup down and stood up and chuckled, "That's actually kind of funny. Even your house elf hates the Minister."

"Yes, well," Lucius said as he headed for the door, "He has a tendency to disregard the orders I give her. I suspected he would be here, considering everything you said to that Auror."

"He's a fool if he thinks I'm going to leave," Harry replied firmly, anger creeping into his voice.

Lucius pulled out his wand and waved it at his ankle. A small black box appeared there as he murmured quietly. He saw the look Harry was giving him as he did that and said, "A glamour. No need to make him think I've broken the rules and need to go back to Azkaban."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him and Lucius smirked, "What? Did you really think I was the first Malfoy to be put on house arrest?"

Harry shook his head with a grin as he rolled his eyes, "Why am I not surprised?"

Lucius' smirk widened and placed his hand on Harry's lower back, guiding him towards the door, "Because I'm a Malfoy and it's to be expected. Ready to face the music?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied with a heavy sigh and left the room, Lucius pulling the door closed behind them as they headed towards the awaiting Minister.

* * *

I've seen people put cinnamon on their cream cheese covered bagels, but I've never tried it. I do wonder if it's any good or not.

Next chapter: The Minister's interference.

Reviews are nice and are welcomed. I do read them! Even the ones that are not so nice.

Jaa!


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